The Client

Name: Sara Sheehan, PCC
Title: Executive Coach & Consultant
Company: Sara Sheehan Consulting

The Challenge

What challenge did the client want Karen to address?

Sara Sheehan is a human capital and performance expert, having built a successful corporate career working with Fortune 100 companies and prestigious multinational firms on private projects.

The confidential nature of her work impeded Sara from showcasing it freely in her marketing efforts to grow her visibility. 

She quickly realized the need for a business development model that departed from the traditional approach she had taken with big firms. Sara envisioned growing her visibility as an independent thought leader and attracting new clients and contracts on her own terms.

Why did the client have this challenge?

Having worked for almost 30 years with big firms and Fortune 100 companies on confidential projects, Sara hadn’t tapped into a space where she could be active on social media or work on branding herself as an individual thought leader in the marketplace.

Prior to partnering with Karen, Sara was fresh out of a senior-level corporate role and at a crossroads in her life because of the pandemic. She started her business in January 2021 and was simultaneously trying other ventures at the time. At this juncture, Sara knew she had to double down in earnest to bring her business vision to life.

Why did this client engage Karen to help?

In January 2021, Sara was introduced to Karen’s Quick-Start Intensive Program through a close friend.

Based on the character witness her friend provided and the proven results Karen’s program provides, she became confident that Karen’s program could help her develop a sound business development plan; one that would allow her to grow as an independent thought leader in her niche, expand her visibility, and reach her ideal clients with ease.

The Solution

What was the solution?

Sara loved the results she saw with QSI and stayed in the program for 18 months to continue building on her initial success.

She was able to get very active on social media and become a recognizable and influential figure in her niche. The Market Research Conversations gave her the opportunity to test her programs on her ideal market and receive real-world feedback.

These results were further validated as Sara confirms, “To this day, I’ve not had anyone, not a single person say that my course; Mastering Change Management was a bad idea.”

Sara has found that this new way of working is vastly different from her corporate role, takes a lot less time to deliver, and even offers the potential for add-on consulting work.

QSI was an important catalyst for these results as Sara points out, “Karen is attracting a very good group of like-minded people. It's a very supported and supportive space. And I think Karen is an amazing mentor.”

What was the timeline?

During the first 8 months in QSI, Sara was able to achieve the stated results and start attracting big consulting contracts to her business.

This momentum has grown exponentially as, during Q3 of 2022, Sara crossed her revenue goal by 85%.

“I've continued to increase my attainment. So that's highly positive,” she says.

The Results

How did Karen’s solution solve the client’s challenge?

Sara describes her business transformation quite simply, “I see all the positives of how connecting with Karen has helped me shape myself as my own independent thought leader.”

She was also able to benefit from having a very structured approach in QSI to conduct her Market Research Conversations.

“It was so helpful talking to as many people as I could about my programs,” says Sara, “and really having a clear picture of who my ideal client is.”

Sara now feels much more focused in her business and is able to deliver her expertise in a very planful, strategic way.

What benefits did this client immediately see because of her work with Karen?

Because of her heightened visibility online, Sara was able to attract paid consulting work just a few months after enrolling in QSI.

What benefits should this client see over time because of her work with Karen?

“The benefit over time really is the creation of your unique point of view and brand,” says Sara. She is continuing to gain momentum by being active and consistent online, getting her branding down, and showing up in a very professional way.

It is a huge relief for Sara to be able to attract her ideal clients with ease as she now has the financial freedom to be more particular with the proposals she wants to accept.

In her journey to solidifying her presence as a thought leader in business, Sara is making podcast appearances and writing thought leadership articles to put her name in the right circles.

She summarizes her journey beautifully, “I wouldn't trade being in QSI for anything. I've gained so many valuable relationships and habits from it!”

The future looks very bright for her business. Sara is currently working on a consulting contract that could run for up to 18 months and generate consistent revenue.

Sara Sheehan continues to do amazing work with senior executives who are navigating big, complex business transformations and want to achieve breakthrough leadership success.